The Allure of Illusionment
by Lemur76
Summary: A mysterious, intriguing girl continuously pops up in Draco's life during the summer of his 18th year. Should he seek her out, or should he let her be?
1. Chapter 1

"What the hell is that chick doing here?" grumbled Goyle. He cast a look in the direction of a slight figure sitting underneath a tree.

"That's a girl?" said Blaise. "What the hell did she do to her hair?" It was a good question, as it shone a brilliant blue in the afternoon sunlight.

"Forget her hair," said Warrington. "She looks like she got her clothes from the bottom of a trash bin." The group of young men laughed. One of them even pointed at her and guffawed in a most undignified manner.

She seemed unperturbed by the attention, the pointing and the jibes. She merely sat, her back up against the tree, underneath the little shade in the park.

"Cripes, she makes Luna Lovegood look positively normal," said Crabbe.

Draco Malfoy shrugged, spared the girl one last glance and pulled everyone's attention back to the game at hand.

"All right," he said, "let's do five on five." He named off the first team and the second half of people strode over to the other side of the field.

Midway through crossing, Goyle shouted to the girl, "Go home, Freak!" When she didn't respond, he screamed again, "Didn't you hear me? Go home!"

Malfoy looked up from giving his team instructions. "Goyle, shut your trap, and get going so we can get a game in before it gets dark!"

Goyle shot him a dark look, but kept quiet.

Moments later, they were all up in the air, shooting past each other in an impromptu game of Quidditch. They were using two trees on either side of the field as goals, and they worked quite well. Normally, the Seeker's sole duty was to catch the Snitch, but with less people on the field, they used him as another Chaser. There was only one Beater on each side as well. As aggressive as the guys were, it more than made up for the lack of another one. And, then, of course, the Keeper flew in front of the goals, trying to keep the Quaffle from passing through the make-shift hoops.

The girl stayed for a long time, ignoring the taunts flown at her by Warrington, who was playing Beater for one of the teams. Draco was a little glad that Warrington wasn't on his team. Why he was wasting his time throwing insults at an unknown girl who wasn't bothering them was beyond him.

It seemed inevitable that Draco's team would win, as his players were paying more attention to the game than the other team was. By the time Draco caught the Snitch, they had been flying for over two hours, their muscles were sore and he was tired. He landed softly on the ground.

"Same time tomorrow?" asked Draco to everyone.

"Can't," said Blaise wistfully. "We're leaving for Egypt in the evening for vacation. My father wants us all in the house, packing by noon. He was pretty adamant this morning about being on time. He's a pain the arse when he gets like that."

The other guys looked at each other. No one else declined the invitation.

Marcus shrugged. "I'll bring my little brother to even out the numbers. He's been bugging me to come along for the past couple of days."

"Sounds good," said Draco. "See you guys." With a half wave, he strode off the field towards the street, passing the object of their taunts on his way.

As he walked closer, he couldn't help staring at her. She sat with her back up against the tree, her head leaning against the trunk, her wrists resting on her bent knees. Her eyes were closed as he approached, but he sensed that they slid open as he passed.

The front portion of her blue hair was pulled into two pigtails and the rest hung down her back. Black lines were drawn thickly around her eyes, making them the most prominent feature of her face. Her lips were lined with heavy, dark lipstick. Her t-shirt clung tightly to her, and her small breasts jutted out from her narrow ribs. Her jeans were ripped and torn, her bare knees displayed because her legs were bent. Her bare feet stuck out from underneath the chafed cuffs.

He didn't realize that he had slowed down until he was directly in front of her. Her eyes opened wide and held his own. She blinked once slowly. Slightly unnerved, Draco nodded in her direction and then looked away, almost running towards the street.


	2. Chapter 2

The following day, the same guys met up on the Quidditch pitch at approximately the same time. Draco split up the teams again, with slightly different pairings from the day before.

Midway through the game, he nearly tumbled off of his broom. Sitting on a stone wall that was approximately three feet high was the blue-haired girl. She was staring intently at _him_. Draco had had girls stare at him before. Lots of girls at Hogwarts flirted with him, following him through the hallways, giggling and driving him mad. But she wasn't staring at him as a girl with a crush on him. She was entranced, studying his every move in an almost academic manner.

She had her blue hair pulled back into a pony tail today. She was chewing gum, blowing large bubbles at intervals of a minute or two. Her legs were criss-crossed and encased in large bulky blue pants. A see-through black netted shirt with a black tank top underneath covered her upper body. A silver-studded black leather collar was around her neck and matching bracelets circled her wrists. She looked even more bizarre from the day before.

No, it wasn't what she was wearing or even what color her hair was that Draco found so disturbing. It was her presence, her posture, her attitude. She knew the effect her appearance had on everyone, and she sought the attention without recognizing it within herself. She held herself as if she didn't care what anyone thought about her. But Draco sensed that there was a little bit more to her than her ridiculous clothing and her crazy hair.

He heard a whizzing noise and ducked just in time. He shook himself. What was he doing? He was hanging twenty feet in the air, with bludgeors flying at him from every direction, and he was day-dreaming about some girl with blue hair and a bad-ass attitude to whom he had never spoken.

Angrily, he turned his attention back to the game but he couldn't shake the feeling that her eyes never left his form. Out of pure determination, he did not look her way for the rest of the game. As he landed next to his friends, he glanced in the direction of the stone wall.

It was empty. She was gone. But, for some reason, Draco knew she was going to be back again.

Draco flashed his ID at the bouncer at the door to the club. It was Friday night. It was the start of the weekend, and he was ready for some fun. He had been working part-time during the mornings, and this morning had not been a pleasant affair. He was ready to party for a bit, and this club, the Golden Snitch, was one of his favorite sports bars to go to.

In the front portion of the bar, tables and chairs filled the room, images of famous Quidditch players zooming on the walls. A long, narrow bar, with every imaginable liquor was lined up on the opposite wall. In the basement was a dance floor with a DJ. He rarely went down there, preferring the atmosphere upstairs more.

He headed straight for the bar and ordered a butterbeer. Flicking the bartender a coin, he turned and took a healthy chug from his bottle. He sauntered over to an empty stool and hitched himself up onto the seat. He was waiting for a friend from Durmstrang, a playmate from his years before Hogwarts. Duncan and he had played while in short pants together and had kept in touch through owl when they were at school on opposite sides of Europe.

Duncan rarely mixed with his friends from Hogwarts. It was almost as if there had been a non-verbal battle and the prize was Draco's attention. After many fruitless attempts to mix his friends, he decided it was probably best to keep his relationships separate.

Several minutes later, Duncan walked through the door. Seeing his friend, he wandered over to him, slapping him on the back in greeting.

Draco grinned. "Get yourself a butterbeer and sit your arse down," he said. Duncan flashed a cheeky grin at a waitress who was passing by. She stopped, despite the fact that they were not sitting in her section, and took his order. He patted her bottom as she passed by. She shook her head and mumbled something about handsome men who thought they could get away with any type of behavior.

"So, how's your summer been?" Duncan asked, turning his attention to Draco.

Draco shrugged. "It's been all right. The normal shit. I've been playing a couple rounds of Quidditch at the city park. Working crappy hours and spending a lot of time drinking." He took another swig of butterbeer. "You know, the usual."

Duncan grinned. "Sounds like mine. Only I've also met a nice, sweet girl to warm my nights as well."

Draco's eyebrows rose. "And she let you out tonight?"

"Hey, I just said that she was warming my bed. We're not exclusive!" he exclaimed.

Draco shook his head and finished off his beer. They grabbed another drink before heading downstairs at Duncan's suggestion.

Once downstairs, they started hashing out everything they had done that summer. Duncan ordered a shot of whiskey for each of them. Draco pounded it and ordered another. Two hours later, they were no longer sober. A pleasant haze altered their perceptions. Both were in exceedingly good spirits.

The bar had filled up while they had been drinking. Duncan took off to use the loo. Standing by the bar, Draco lit a cigarette and took a long drag. The music was deafening and smoke filled the alcoves of the room, seeping onto the dance floor. The whole scene was a blur; his senses were too overwhelmed for anything to be clear.

And that's when he saw her. She was unmistakable with that hair of hers. Only, she wasn't dressed in her usual garb. Tonight, her hair hung straight down her back, slightly damp from sweat, clinging to her exposed skin. It was twisted and tangled erotically around her face, sliding in between the curve of her breasts, around her neck. A piece had worked its way into her mouth, but she barely noticed.

Her eyes were closed and she tossed her head from side to side. Her body, her hips moved erotically, thrusting forward to the beat of the music. The tight tank top she wore exposed the majority of her flat, tight stomach. The mini leather skirt fit snugly on her hips and barely covered her ass.

And her legs. Shapely and long, covered with fishnets. They ended in three-inch heels. Draco had a sudden image of those legs wrapped around his waist.

He suddenly realized that his mouth was open. Hastily, he closed it and looked away. But then he had to look again. There she was, still completely oblivious to the fact that her erotic dancing was attracting half of the men on the dance floor. He had a bizarre thought that he ought to take off his shirt and cover her up.

He figured that he might as well stare along with the other dozen men gaping at her. He finally had a chance to observe her without her knowing. He realized that she was completely trapped within her mind. Her soul was exposed in her movements, and Draco felt the urge to go over and touch her. His feet started towards her, unwillingly.

"Malfoy! Did you see that crazy chick on the dance floor?" Duncan's voice brought him back to where he was.

"What?" Draco said, turning to Duncan.

"The blue-haired girl. I swear, she's got to be part veela with the way those men are ogling her." Duncan laughed, drunkenly. He stared appreciatively at the sight and grinned.

Draco fought the urge to slug his friend. In his altered state, he realized that his thoughts were completely irrational. He turned to the bar to collect himself. To distract himself, he ordered another butterbeer even though he didn't think he needed it. When he turned back to the scene in front of him, his eyes instinctively sought her out again.

She wasn't where he had seen her. Instead she was slumped against the opposite wall. A man, about ten years older than she, was holding her upper arm and talking sternly to her. Her head was bent, so he could not read her expression. She didn't seem happy, though. With a tug of her arm, the man led her away from the dance floor and up the stairs. Reluctantly she followed.

Draco watched her go, wondering once again who she was.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, Draco stopped by The Garden Gnome, the local convenience store, before heading off to his usual game of Quidditch with the rest of his friends. He had worked all morning at Gringotts, rewriting and owling memos to France, Germany and Spain. He was under constant surveillance of the goblins, and it was often uncomfortable smashing his large body in those tiny desks. The goblins frowned upon witches and wizards doing magic to complete their jobs. Honest, hard work was what they wanted to see, especially from young men completing internships at their bank.

Draco grunted as he swung open the door to the shop. He threw his broom into the corner by the check-out, nodding a greeting to the old wizard behind the counter. He wandered along the aisles, his empty stomach and dry throat leading him in his meanderings. He stopped to get a sandwich made and then headed to the cold drinks along the wall. As he approached the section which held colas, he saw the familiar blue-haired girl.

She had opened a cooler and was bent low, half of her body inside of it. Draco leaned against the cooler right next to her and as she rose, a bottle clutched in her hand, he spoke. "I saw you at the club on Friday night."

She hadn't even flinched. She closed the door and turned to him. "Yes. I was there." She was stoic, her face expressionless. She turned away from Draco and walked into the next aisle.

He followed, shaking his head, wondering about his own behavior. When he found her, she was staring at the selection of sweets displayed in a row.

"Who was the guy with you?" The question popped out before he could stop himself.

She didn't even spare him a glance. "My brother." She reached down to the bottom shelf and selected a Pumpkin Pasty. She turned her back on him and walked to the counter to check out.

"Hey, what's your name?" Draco called to her.

She ignored him and set her items down on the counter. Draco caught up to her as she was handing her knuts over to the older man at the cashier.

"We're going to be playing later if you want to come," he said before he realized that the words were coming out of his mouth. He set his own purchases down on the counter as she picked up hers.

She finally focused her attention on him. Her eyes were a deep, dark, clear blue, Draco realized. She blinked once, turned away, and walked out the door.

Draco looked down at his purchases and realized that he forgot to grab a drink. He looked up at the cashier. "I'll be right back," he said. He grabbed a bottled water and jogged back up the check out.

He handed the old man his money, gathered his food, and stopped to pick up his broom.

"Her name's Honey," the old man called.

"What?" asked Draco, lost in his own thoughts.

"Her name is Honey. Honey Jane." The old man gestured towards the outside, where a flash of blue hair disappeared. "She's been coming in here for years." He winked and then turned back to stocking the shelves behind the counter.

Draco grinned and swung his broom over his shoulder. He'd made progress.

Several hours later, he was in the park, up in the air, on his broom. The game was getting a little rougher as they had enough people for two beaters. He'd had to concentrate more than normal to make sure neither of them slammed into his body.

A flash of blue caught his eye and he grinned. Without even turning in its direction, he knew it was her. Honey Jane. He liked the name. It was different and rolled off of his tongue easily.

With a surge of energy, he raced his broom down the opposite end of the field, completing a Triple Grip Roll in the center of the field. Within moments, he had spotted the Snitch. He zoomed this way and that, dipping and rolling, enjoying the sensation of reckless flying. A minute later, he held the tiny flying ball in his hand.

His teammates, duly impressed with the speed and accuracy of his catching of the Snitch, slapped him on the back, praising his skills. When the subject of another game was brought up, they decided against it, fearing that it might not be over before dark. Slowly, one by one, they took off. Draco stalled.

Honey Jane was still sitting on the stone wall, reading a book. He thought he might try for one more conversation with her that day. Waving a goodbye to the remaining players, he tossed his broom over his shoulder and headed in the direction of the girl.

She pretended not to notice him as he dropped his broom on the ground and swung himself up to sit on the wall next to her. She was sitting sideways on the wall, one leg bent and in front of her, the other leg swinging down the side. She was leaning backwards on one hand, her other holding a small, compact book completely made of paper. He'd never seen such a small book that you could hold in one hand. Most of his textbooks were huge volumes that needed to be put onto a table in front of you.

He was completely silent for a minute. She broke the silence, never looking up from her reading. "So, are you done showing off all of your favorite tricks on that broom of yours?"

"You showed up. I figured I needed to give a performance," he replied blithely.

She snorted, her eyes glancing up at him and a ghost of a smile passing her countenance before returning to her story.

"What are you reading?" he asked, his hand extending to retrieve the volume from her fingers. She was quicker. Before he could grasp it, she had pulled the book out of his reach.

"I don't think so," she said, snatching up a book bag that Draco had not seen lying next to her.

He glimpsed the title, _Pride and Prejudice_, before she managed to cover it completely. He had never heard of it before and internally shrugged his shoulders. He'd have to look it up when he got back to his flat.

Draco looked out over the field that had recently hosted their Quidditch game. Zabini and Flint were still in close conversation together. He noticed that they kept throwing questioning glances in his direction.

His head swung back to her and he drawled, "So did you like the game, Honey Jane?"

She made an annoyed sound, having finally given him her full attention, her bag behind her once again. She was leaning back on both hands, examining him closely.

"Algie told you, didn't he?" she questioned.

"Algie?" he asked.

"The guy who runs The Garden Gnome," she explained.

Draco nodded his head, keeping silent, but she didn't expand any further. "Do you want to go and get a coffee?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He had no idea why this girl was such a fascination for him, but she was. He wanted to learn more about her.

Honey Jane gave him a dubious look. "Do you really think that is a good idea?"

"Why not?" he asked. He leaned closer to her. "Afraid of me?"

This time, she threw back her head and laughed out loud. Recovering after a moment, with a genuine grin still on her face, she said, "No, I'm not."

Despite being on the receiving end of the insult, Draco continued, "Come on. I'll tell you more about Quidditch." He liked seeing her façade break and her emotions surface. It meant she wasn't immune to him.

"All right," she agreed reluctantly. "But only if you promise not to act too arrogant and conceited." She slid off the stone wall and gathered her book bag up in her hands.

Draco paused, a stunned expression on his face. How dare she say that to him?

She started to walk away, calling to him. "Come on, Malfoy, let's go to The Great Espresso and grab a cup of coffee." She didn't look back to see if he was following.

Draco slid off the wall and traced her steps. "How do you know my name?"

She smiled sweetly at him and refused to answer. "Just don't let me catch you calling me 'Honey Jane'. I hate that name. Call me Honey."

"Sure, I'll call you Honey." But she knew from his expression that she had just revealed a weakness, and he was going to use it to his advantage.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They found two plush armchairs in the corner of The Great Espresso. Honey plopped inelegantly into one of them, drawing her right foot up underneath herself. She wore loose denim capris today, with black and white striped knee socks. While her position wasn't exactly ladylike, it certainly wasn't inappropriate. She took a sip of her café latte and stared up at her companion. After leaning his broom against the wall, he descended gracefully into the seat next to her. He had ordered a strong black coffee, with nothing in it.

Honey remained silent, aware that her façade had slipped away for a few brief moments on the Quidditch pitch. Her normal expression of complete disinterest had returned. She glanced out the window, determined not to be the one to resume the conversation.

Draco smiled to himself. He had no problem talking. She'd slip again; he would make sure of that. "Why don't you go to Hogwarts?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Family issues. It was thought best that I not go too far away from home."

"So what school do you go to?" he asked, gently prying.

"You've never heard of it. It's small," she answered vaguely.

"Try me." Draco waited patiently, sipping his coffee and leaning back in his chair, as if he had not a care in the world. Two could play this game.

Honey tilted her head, examining him. She seemed to make a decision about something that had been bothering her. "It's called Stowe Academy. It's here in London. I don't go to a boarding school like Hogwarts."

"How many years do you have left?"

"I just finished my N… NEWTS," she said.

Draco nodded. "So did I. I'm working at Gringotts for the summer. I'm interning with them."

Honey's eyebrows rose. "What exactly are you doing over there?" She lifted the cup to her lips and took another sip.

Draco leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Mainly helping with correspondence between the States and England. Their banks are managed mostly by wizards and they prefer to do business with wizards, not goblins. Matchack, my boss, doesn't like it, but he understands the way it goes. The States have a lot of opportunities to invest."

"Yes, they do," said Honey. "In Muggle enterprises as well as Wizarding ones."

Draco's examined her keenly. "Yes, mostly technology, which is a Muggle enterprise."

Honey nodded. "Yes, I know. The wizarding world is filling its coffers with Muggle investments. They've supplied money for research in computer chips with Macintosh computers. They've invested in oil in the Middle East. They've even backed the growth of wind energy in Denmark."

Draco's mouth dropped open. He was speechless. Most of this information was available to the public, but as it was usually in the fifth section of the Daily Prophet, buried deep inside the paper, very few people even realized the depth to which the Wizarding world was involved in the Muggle one. He had only recently found out through his work at the bank.

She was staring at him again, her eyes unblinking. He looked away, trying to conceal his surprise, trying to compose himself.

Honey continued, "Of course, Scrimgeour was the instigator in all of these investments. Fudge had put us into a ton of debt, with all of his cover-ups from You-Know-Who. Scrimgeour, as much as he did not want to get involved with the Muggle world, knew the opportunities far outweighed the risks. He hired several heavily-educated muggle-born wizards from the Ministry to be in charge, and it fell into place from there."

Draco wasn't just surprised. He was shocked. The conversation had evolved into a subject a little too serious for him. He was only just learning about these new developments in the Ministry. How could a witch his age know all of this information? She had to read the Daily Prophet front to back constantly, along with several Muggle newspapers.

"Do you like this song?" Honey's abrupt change of subject brought him back to reality.

Draco nodded. "Do you like the _Immortal Phoenixes_?" asked Draco. The band wasn't usually a favorite amongst students, but Draco had a fondness for them since the band was originally from the town in which he grew up.

Honey nodded. "I like the lead singer's voice. It's deep, it's sexy, it draws you into the music." She couldn't keep the huskiness out of her voice.

Draco had the uncanny sensation that he couldn't keep up with this girl, despite his intelligence and pureblood background. As the conversation continued, he realized that she jumped from subject to subject. Sometimes she had a definite opinion on the subject, but other times she inquired about his. She was intriguing, knowledgeable, and, behind the heavy eyeliner and dark lipstick, very pretty.

There was a lapse in the conversation, and Honey glanced outside the window. The sun was beginning to set and the moon had risen above the buildings across the street. "I think I need to go home," she announced. She jumped out of her seat, her empty coffee mug forgotten on the floor by her chair.

Draco rose as well, depositing his own mug on the floor. "Let me walk you home."

She stared at him, obviously battling with herself. They both knew that she shouldn't walk home by herself at this time of night in Diagon Alley. But, it was obvious that she did not want Draco to accompany her home.

"I… I … I just live three streets away," she stammered. "I'll be fine."

Draco gave her a pitying look. "I'm not letting you walk home by yourself. Let me take you there." He extended his hand towards her.

She made a decision. Grabbing her bag, she headed out the door of the shop. She heard Draco on her heels. "Fine. Follow me, if your sense of chivalry is too overwhelming." Her heavy-soled shoes clipped along the street at a surprisingly quick rate. Draco struggled to keep up.

They walked in silence, heading straight down one block, turning right on Birch Street, and then a left onto Pygmy Way. Honey stopped abruptly and turned to him.

"Thank you, I can handle it from here," she said, not moving. She stood directly in front of him.

Draco searched her face. He couldn't tell if she had enjoyed her afternoon with him or not. Right now, she was very intent on getting rid of him. He wasn't going to win this battle, and he decided to strategically retreat.

Nodding his head in her direction, he murmured, "I'll see you soon." Gracefully, he pivoted and walked away.

Honey breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk home, turning left one more time, glancing behind her to make sure he wasn't looking. She didn't notice the tiny bright light following her footsteps into her house.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was eleven o'clock in the morning. Honey puttered around the kitchen of the townhouse that she shared with her brother. The two-story building was made of yellow brick and had three steps leading up to its front door. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a den. It was certainly large enough to accommodate any of their needs.

She was brewing a pot of tea and toasting a slice of bread when she heard the doorbell ring. She paused, wondering who would be inquiring at their door at this time of day. She looked down at herself. She had already showered for the day, but still only had on jeans and a tee-shirt that said, "I'm not lazy, I just don't give a damn." She was not wearing a bra. Sticking her hands in her back pockets, she shuffled to the door in her bare feet. Peeking out the window, she gasped.

There, in a pair of khaki shorts and a Quidditch t-shirt, stood Draco Malfoy. How he had found her home was beyond her. She had tried very hard to confuse him the night before. Apparently, he had her followed home anyway.

Warily, she swung the heavy wooden door open. "How did you find my house?" she asked forcefully, her hands still stuck in her back pockets, her chin up. She stepped outside onto the top step, pulling the door closed behind her.

From the sidewalk, Draco looked her up and down. Without the make-up, she seemed like a normal teenage girl. Well, a normal teenage girl with blue hair. The thought that she was quite pretty came to him again. She seemed a little younger as well.

Draco shrugged. "A pursuant charm." She looked blankly at him. "I wasn't about to let you walk home by yourself. I knew that it was at least one more block."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you have to work or something?"

The left side of his mouth lifted into a half-smile. "Or something." His arms crossed over his chest, and his weight leaned into his right hip. "I have off this morning. My internship only lasts four days of the week. I don't have to go into work on Fridays."

She simply stared at him, standing her ground.

Finally, Draco spoke. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Her mouth twisted indecisively. She turned and pushed the door open. "Fine. Come in." She walked into the house without sparing him a glance.

"What a welcome," Draco murmured, underneath his breath. But he followed her into the house.

He was surprised at what greeted him. He had walked directly into a nice, neat sitting room. It was decorated in cream and beige, with a couch and two armchairs. Two end tables and a coffee table completed the room. The walls held two massive paintings—one of the countryside and one of the ocean. In the back of the room were several steps which led into a kitchen. It was white and pristine. A countertop with several stools separated the sitting room from the stainless steel appliances. The whole bottom floor didn't seem to match Honey's tastes.

Draco pulled himself onto a stool and looked to see what Honey was up to. She grabbed two mugs from a cabinet and then two tea bags. A tea kettle whistled merrily from the stove. She poured the steaming liquid into both cups and handed one to Draco. She shoved a spoon at him as well.

"Sugar is in the canister." She pointed to a tin by his hand. "Milk is in the fridge. Would you like some?"

Draco shook his head. He sipped the hot tea in front of him.

Honey opened the fridge, poured some milk into her drink, set the carton back into the fridge and closed the door. A second later, a pop sounded. She grabbed a piece of bread from the toaster, spread peanut butter onto it, and set it onto a plate.

"Want any?" she asked, gesturing to her snack.

Draco shook his head. "I had a heavy breakfast before I came over."

Honey leaned her elbows onto the countertop opposite Draco. "So why did you follow me?"

Draco, deciding that he didn't want to answer the question, responded, "You look different without all of that make-up. Pretty, almost."

Not prepared, Honey pulled back. Indignantly, she said, "I like my make-up."

"Do you wear it all the time?" Draco asked, taking another sip of tea, trying to look nonchalant.

"Do you always slick your hair back like that?" she asked, smiling.

Draco nodded. He wasn't going to get much out of her. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

She shrugged, turning away and turning the water on in the sink. She grabbed her plate and began to wash it.

"How come you don't do anything with magic?" asked Draco.

"I'm still underage. My brother asked me to wait, and I have respected his wish." She turned off the water and dried the plate with a towel.

Draco nodded. "So, do you want to learn Quidditch?"

She whipped around, the towel and the plate still in her hand. "What?"

"Do you want to learn how to play Quidditch? I brought an extra broom."

She set the plate down. Eagerly, she said, "I can try out a broom?"

Draco nodded.

An expression of pure delight crossed her face. "Okay." She looked down at herself. "I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs which extended from the sitting room.

"Don't put on any make-up," called Draco, walking to the bottom of the stairs. He watched her figure pause in the hallway. She was deciding whether she should listen to his direct order or not. He grinned. He rather hoped that she defied him.

Ten minutes later, she came back downstairs, her hair in a French braid, leather-soled shoes on her feet. He noticed that she had left off some of the make-up. While her lids were still circled with black, there was no heavy blue eyeshadow. Her lips were a soft plum color, rather than a dark red. Admiring her, he walked to the front door and opened it.

"Madam," he said, with a mock bow.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his forearm. "Let's go."

Draco grabbed two brooms that had been leaning against the side of the townhouse. He threw them up onto both of his shoulders. In amiable silence, they walked to the park together. Draco could feel her excitement build as she walked next to him. It was endearing. He carefully placed a bored expression on his face.

By the time that they reached the park, she was practically bubbling with enthusiasm. Two days ago, she had pretended that he didn't exist. Today, her emotions were written all over her face. Draco wasn't sure which way he liked her.

When they got to the pitch, no one was around. He held out his old broom, a Nimbus 2001, and she grabbed it. He explained that she needed to leave it down on the ground and call it to her. After several unsuccessful attempts, he decided to let her hold it, mount it, and call the charm out.

Draco stepped back.

"Ascendio!" cried Honey. She leapt in surprise as the broom rose from the ground. She could feel the wood vibrating beneath her. Clutching onto the handle, she leaned over and let the broom take her to the opposite end of the pitch. Halfway across the field, she sat up slightly and let the wind whip around her.

Draco watched, poised on his Firebolt, from the end of the field. She had obviously never been on a broom before. He wondered at it. He knew some people had never been on a broom before they had gotten to Hogwarts, but the professors made sure each and every one of them knew how to ride by the time they graduated. Even the students who weren't particularly good at it. He wondered how this part of Honey's education had been overlooked. While she wasn't a complete natural, there was no fear in her, which made teaching her a whole lot easier.

He decided to wait to teach her Quidditch. Next time they came out, he thought. He sensed the next time would be very soon.

She flew up and down the field, hovering at a height of approximately five feet above the ground. She angled up and soared to approximately ten feet, swerving left and then moving right. As she reached the end of the field, she sloped downward, spinning completely on the broom. Her laughter reverberated through the air. It was music to Draco's ears. Flying was such a simple pleasure; he took it for granted. He was glad that she enjoyed it as much as he did.

Honey soared close to where he was floating above the center of the field. "How do you stop this thing?" she cried, the wind whipping the words from her lips.

"Pull up sharply, pushing down with your feet at the same time," yelled Draco, his left hand cupped by his mouth. He watched as she swung the broom around to face him, following his instructions.

She wasn't quick enough. She slowed down, but her broom tangled with his, pulling them both into a swirl, tumbling them both to the ground. Her high-pitch shriek held a hint of terror in it. Five feet above the ground, they both slipped and fell, entangled in each other's limbs.

With a thud, they landed on the ground, Honey on her back, Draco on top of her. A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered close. She became still, Draco's weight heavy on top of her.

Draco lifted himself up onto his elbows, relieving some of his weight from her body. "Honey?"he asked, his breath shallow. The wind had been knocked out of him. She had cushioned his fall, taking the brunt of it. Her brains were probably addled.

He lightly slapped her cheek. He sighed with relief as her eyes flickered open. Her lips curled upwards into a full grin, and she chuckled heartily. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Her blue hair had escaped from her hair elastic, and tiny pieces framed her heart-shaped face. "That was fun," she announced, reaching up to touch his cheek with her fingertips.

Her laughter faded as she stared into his silver grey eyes. Draco was staring intently down at her. She had shaken him up a bit, tearing out of nowhere and slamming into him. His heart had skipped a beat when she had fallen. Without thinking about the consequences, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

With a squeak of surprise, she accepted his kiss. Reaching around to touch the hair on the nape of his neck, she molded her lips to his, a thrill running down her body to the tips of her toes. His tongue slipped into her mouth, exploring gently. After a long moment, he broke away.

Draco's insides shook. Thoughts and emotions tumbled through him. He couldn't figure out what set this girl apart from all of the others he had kissed. She was different, on the inside as well as on the out. Rocking back, he shifted onto his feet and held out his hand to help her up. Tacitly, she accepted his help, rising to her own two feet.

Turning away from him, she brushed the grass off her clothes. She took a moment to pull herself together before saying anything. "Thanks," she said, her voice abnormally loud. "I had fun."

"Good." Draco's voice was inches from her ears. Honey whipped around, nose to nose with the man who had just kissed her. She swallowed. She glanced down at his lips, realized what she was doing and flinched. When she opened her eyes, Draco was grinning, a smug, knowing expression on his face.

"Come on, let's go get some coffee." He picked up the brooms with one hand and tilted his head to the street. He was afraid that she would run if he reached for her.

Honey nodded, still a little unsure of her response to him. "Okay." Silently, they walked to the coffee shop together.


End file.
